Flip video cam and shooting game action

Seeking a little advice. Anybody have the Flip Ultra, have you used it to shoot any game action, and if so how was the quality?

Looking to post video of high school games to my web site -- short takes, just 60 seconds or so of highlights -- to run with game stories come this fall and want to invest in a video cam. Heard so many people rave about the Flip that I wondered if it was good for game action.

If not ..... any suggestions on a video cam that is also that small and easy to use, and in that relative price range ($125-$200) that WILL return some decent quality video of game action?

Any help/advice/insight greatly appreciated.

 

The quality from the Flip cameras is very good. The main issue you'll face using them for football is the lack of a usable zoom. You'll essentially be stuck on a wide shot.

In terms of strictly the picture quality, it's terrific for such a small package.

 

The biggest complaint I had with the Flip was the audio quality. I primarily used it for short interviews to put online and the sound just wasn't good enough.

I now just use my iPhone video camera, and I have a small microphone that I plug in which makes the already good sound even sharper. Shooting action on the iPhone isn't great, but really no worse than the average Flip.

 

Flip's audio and video capabilities are much better than anything you'll get off a phone. Thing is, without zoom, you better get pretty damn close.

 

The flip I use has zoom on it but it's not the best zoom in the world.

Flip is best for upclose interviews. To make it steady, I've found buy one of the cheap tripods and hold it by the tripod. Makes it a lot steadier.

 

We have a Flip, which we're supposed to be using to take video to post to the Web.

I guess I'm an old dinosaur - I leave the videos to the younger kids. Besides, my state doesn't allow cameras in the courtrooms.

 

Our paper has been pretty active with using the Flip. One of the sports guys experimented in the spring and got some decent stuff. Audio, though, is an issue, especially if you're outside. Our photo editor just shot an air show and all you could hear was wind.

The photo editor also just took his Flip into a district courtroom for an arraignment of a guy accused of killing an 8-week-old by bashing her head then shaking her. It was damned powerful watching this young man (early 20s) in handcuffs being hugged by his father, who was saying a prayer for him. The photo editor also was shooting Flip and stills as the defendant was being led out - you hear the "click-click-click-click-click" on the video.

 

http://bit.ly/bBJb6J

That's a video I did when our paper put on its annual high school all-star basketball games back in the spring. I shot it with a standard-def Flip, but the resolution was actually a little better than what you see here (had to be scaled down because of bandwidth issues on our site).

I know there are big differences between shooting basketball and football, but I shot this from a million different angles, so hopefully it'll give you a little idea of what works and what doesn't.

 

Flip is tough for game action, particularly football at night, but any day/indoor sports where you don't need a zoom it is great, and practically idiot proof (in other words, perfect for me!).

 

You need to get real close.

 

I should have convinced the poor prep QB who spent all of last season on his butt because his O-line was awful to do that. Would have made for interesting highlights.

 

Should look into getting a GoPro instead.